San Carlo aims for positive results at Laguna Seca

After a difficult weekend followed by a positive day of testing at Mugello, San Carlo Honda Gresini heads to the United States this weekend with renewed faith and confidence.

The post-race session last Monday in Italy gave Álvaro Bautista the opportunity to rebuild his feeling for the Honda RC213V before tackling the spectacular Laguna Seca circuit in California. It was also a positive session for Michele Pirro, who along with his crew was able to fix the technical problem that has brought his last two races to an early finish.

Laguna Seca will be a completely new circuit for the Italian, but he cannot wait to get started out there and experience the unique atmosphere of the West Coast, where San Carlo Honda Gresini hopes to be back amongst the frontrunners in MotoGP™.

Álvaro Bautista

"Mugello was a difficult weekend for us. I was desperate to perform well in the team's home race, especially with the livery going back to white, but unfortunately we had a lot of problems using the hard tyre and that prevented us from finding a set-up that we liked. I never managed to find a good feeling with the bike so wasn't able to push it or myself to the limit. Since returning home I have been working hard on my physical fitness and I went down to Albacete to watch the Spanish Championship race. Now I want to rediscover the pace and feeling for my bike that I had before Mugello. It would be nice to have a 'normal' weekend so that we can work on maximising our potential and being as competitive as we have been in the last few races. A good result would set us up for the next few weeks and also put some bad memories to bed for me in MotoGP at Laguna because I have yet to actually finish a race there. Laguna Seca is a difficult circuit with dramatic elevation changes and blind corners where you have to anticipate the entry point in order to get the best line. It is important to have a good setting on the bike otherwise your job on the track gets much more difficult."

Michele Pirro

"I am still feeling bitter about the retirement at Mugello in my home Grand Prix, which made it a double disappointment for me, the team, the fans and the sponsors. Unfortunately this is still a young bike and these things can happen from time to time. During the test on the Monday we managed to work out the problem and now we can go to Laguna feeling much better about it and looking to do well. Since the last race I have spent three days at the barracks continuing my police training but also kept up to my personal fitness programme in readiness for a very demanding circuit. I have never been to Laguna Seca but from what I have seen and been told it is a spectacular track. I am curious to see the famous Corkscrew for real – I am told it is amazing. I can't wait to get on track, I feel in good shape and I am determined to do well."